Ingabe Uyosilalela Isixwayiso SikaNkulunkulu?

NGOKUVAMILE abantu abazinaki izixwayiso ezisindisa ukuphila. Iningi lezakhamuzi zasePompeii lakhetha ukungayinaki imisindo ehlokomayo yeNtaba iVesuvius. Ngendlela efanayo, abantu abaningi namuhla abazinaki izixwayiso zenhlekelele ezayo yembulunga yonke. Kodwa kulabo abazimisele ukubhekana namaqiniso, isixwayiso singokoqobo njengokukhanya kombani nomlilo okwakuvela eNtabeni iVesuvius emuva ngekhulu lokuqala. Izimpi zezwe ezimbili, amakhulu ezimpi ezincane, indlala, ukuzamazama okukhulu komhlaba, izifo eziwumqedazwe, amagagasi obugebengu nobudlova, kanye nomkhankaso wokushumayela womhlaba wonke konke kwakha isixwayiso esimangalisayo sokuthi umphakathi wesintu usondela ngokushesha osizini oluyinhlekelele.

IBhayibheli linikeza lokhu kubikezela okusangulukisayo: “Kuyakuba-khona usizi olukhulu olungazange lube-khona kwasekuqaleni kwezwe kuze kube-manje nolungasayikuba-khona.” (Mathewu 24:21) Njengoba kwaba njalo enhlekeleleni yasePompeii, kuyoba khona labo abayosinda—“isixuku esikhulu ebesingenakubalwa-muntu, sivela kuzo zonke izizwe, nemindeni, nabantu, nezilimi,” siyosinda, okusho ukuthi, ‘siyophuma osizini olukhulu.’—IsAmbulo 7:9, 14.

Umbuzo uwukuthi, Iyofika nini lembubhiso? Kunesizathu esinamandla esenza sikholelwe ukuthi lolusizi luseduze. Ngokusobala ukuze bathole ukuthi lezenzakalo zaziyokwenzeka nini, abafundi bakaJesu babuza: ‘Isibonakaliso sokuza kwakho nesokuphela kwezwe siyakuba-yini na?’ (Mathewu 24:3) Phawula impendulo uJesu Kristu ayinikeza.

Impi—Isici Esivelele Sesibonakaliso Esihlanganisa Izici Eziningi

UJesu akabikezelanga isenzakalo esisodwa nje esivelele. Kunalokho, wakhuluma ngochungechunge lwezenzakalo, ezithi uma zibhekwa zizonke, ezaziyokwakha isixwayiso saphezulu—isibonakaliso esihlangene sesiphelo salesimiso sezinto. Isenzakalo sokuqala esabikezelwa sichazwe kuMathewu 24:7: “Isizwe siyakuvukela isizwe, nombuso uvukele umbuso.” Esiprofethweni esifana naso esikusAmbulo 6:4, iBhayibheli labikezela ukuthi ‘ukuthula kwakuyosuswa emhlabeni.’ Lokhu kwakusho ukuba khona kwempi ngesilinganiso esingakaze sibe khona.

Umlando usitshela ukuthi lesiprofetho sempi yembulunga yonke siye sagcwaliseka kusukela ngonyaka ophawulekayo ka-1914. Ngokuphathelene neminyaka engaphambi kuka-1914, incwadi i-American Adventures ithi: “AmaMelika amaningi ayengene ekhulwini elisha leminyaka eligcwele ithemba. Lena ‘kwakuyiminyaka emihle’ futhi yaqhubeka kwaze kwaba yishumi lesibili leminyaka lalelikhulu. . . . Khona-ke, ngo-July 28, 1914, lesimo saphazanyiswa yigama elilodwa: impi.” Kanjalo kwaqala iMpi Yezwe I, eyaqhubeka kusukela ngo-1914 kwaze kwaba u-1918 futhi abanye bayibiza ngokuthi “impi ezoqeda zonke izimpi.” Amazwe angu-28 ayehileleke ngokuqondile kuyo. Futhi uma uhlanganisa namazwe ayebuswa yilawomazwe, izizwe ezazilwa zazihlanganisa cishe amaphesenti angu-90 abantu ababesemhlabeni ngalesosikhathi.

IMpi Yezwe I yabona futhi ukusetshenziswa kwezikhali zempi ezintsha nezibulala ngokwedlulele, njengezibhamu ezizishintshayo, izisi ezinoshevu, iziciba-mlilo, izinqola zempi, izindiza zempi, nemikhumbi-ngwenya. Cishe kwabulawa  amasosha ayizigidi eziyishumi—angaphezu kwamasosha ayekhona kuzo zonke izimpi ezinkulu ezaliwa eminyakeni eyikhulu ngaphambili! Kwalimala amasosha angaba izigidi ezingu-21. Ngempela, kwakuyimpi yembulunga yonke, eyaphawula u-1914 njengokuqala ‘kwezinsuku zokugcina.’ (2 Thimothewu 3:1) Nokho, impi yayimane iyisici esisodwa sesibonakaliso sikaJesu.

Ezinye Izici Zesibonakaliso

UJesu wanezela: “Kube-khona indlala nokuzamazama komhlaba izindawo ngezindawo. Kepha konke lokho kungukuqala kwemihelo.” (Mathewu 24:7, 8) ULuka 21:11 unezela ‘nobici’ kulolohlu. Ngaphambi kokuba kuphele iMpi Yezwe I, umqedazwe womkhuhlane waseSpain waqala ukusakazeka ngokushesha kuwo wonke umhlaba. Ekugcineni, wabulala abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-20, abantu abangaphezu kwabo bonke labo ababefe empini.

Phakathi nangemva kwempi, izigidi zabanye zabulawa yindlala. Ukuzamazama komhlaba nakho kwabangela ukufa kwabantu abaningi. Ngo-1915 abantu abangaphezu kuka-30 000 bafa eItaly; ngo-1920 cishe abangaphezu kuka-200 000 babhubha eChina; ngo-1923 cishe abangu-143 000 bafa eJapane. Nokho, njengoba uJesu abonisa, konke lokhu kwakusewukuqala nje kwemihelo. Esinye isichazamazwi sichaza “imihelo njengobuhlungu besikhashana obunjengehlaba.” Lomhlaba ubulokhu udiyazeliswa ubuhlungu obunjengehlaba obulandelanayo obuya banda ngamandla nangokuphindaphindiwe kusukela ngo-1914. Ngokwesibonelo, eminyakeni nje engu-21 ngemva kweMpi Yezwe I kwaqala impi yezwe yesibili, eyabulala izisulu eziyizigidi ezingu-50 futhi yaletha isintu enkathini yenuzi.

Eminyakeni yamuva kuye kwakhulunywa kakhulu nangenye imbangela yokukhathazeka: ukubhubhisa komuntu indawo ezungezile. Nakuba uJesu engazange akubale lokhu ngokuqondile esiprofethweni sakhe, isAmbulo 11:18 sibonisa ukuthi ngaphambi kwembubhiso ezayo, umuntu uyobe ‘ebhubhisa umhlaba.’ Kunobufakazi obuningi bokuthi lokhu kubhubhisa kuyenzeka. Sicashunwa encwadini ethi State of the World 1988, isazi esiwuchwepheshe wendawo ezungezile uNorman Myers sinikeza lesigijimi esithusayo: “Asikho isizukulwane esikhathini esingaphambili esiye sabhekana nethuba lokuqothulwa  okukhulu phakathi nesikhathi sokuphila kwaso. Asikho isizukulwane esikhathini esizayo esiyoke sibhekane nenselele efanayo: uma lesizukulwane samanje sihluleka ukubhekana nalomsebenzi, umonakalo uyobe sewenziwe futhi ngeke libe khona ‘ithuba lesibili.’”

Cabanga ngombiko okumagazini i-Newsweek ka-February 17, 1992, ophathelene nokuncipha kwe-ozone emkhathini. UAlexandra Allen isazi se-ozone senhlangano i-Greenpeace wacashunwa exwayisa ngokuthi ukuncipha kwe-ozone “manje sekuwusongo esikhathini esizayo sazo zonke izinto eziphilayo emhlabeni.”—Bheka ibhokisi elikulelikhasi ukuze uthole ubufakazi obengeziwe bokubhujiswa kwendawo ezungezile emhlabeni.

Asinayo indawo eyanele yokuba sixoxe ngokuningiliziwe ngazo zonke izici zesiprofetho sikaJesu. (Bheka ishadi elisekhasini lesihlanu ukuze ubukeze ezinye izici ezingokwesiprofetho.) Nokho, esinye isici esingenakushaywa indiva sichazwe kuMathewu 24:14: “Lelivangeli lombuso liyakushunyayelwa ezweni lonke, kube-ngubufakazi ezizweni zonke, andukuba kufike ukuphela.” Akungabazeki ukuthi obani abenza lomsebenzi wokushumayela wembulunga yonke. OFakazi BakaJehova emazweni angu-229 basebenze amahora angaphezu kwezigidi eziyinkulungwane kulomsebenzi ngonyaka ka-1992 kuphela. Ngaleyondlela umsebenzi wabo unikeza obunye ubufakazi obubonakala kakhulu bokuthi siphila ezinsukwini zokugcina.

Ungakhohliswa!

Nokho, abanye bangase baphikise ngokuthi yonke lenkulumo ‘yezinsuku zokugcina’ imane nje iwukungabi nathemba ngekusasa. Bayabuza, ‘kuthiwani ngokuphela kwamuva nje kobuKhomanisi eMpumalanga Yurophu? noma imizamo yamazwe anamandla yokwenza ukuthula? Ingabe lokhu akubona yini ubufakazi bokuthi izinto ziba ngcono?’ Cha. Phawula ukuthi uJesu akazange asho ukuthi umhlaba wonke wawuyoqhubeka ukhungethwe yizimpi, ukuzamazama komhlaba, nendlala phakathi nezinsuku zokugcina. Ukuze izindaba ezinhle zishunyayelwe emhlabeni wonke, kwakuyodingeka ukuba kube khona okungenani izinkathi ezithile zokuzola okusesilinganisweni.

Khumbula futhi, ukuthi uJesu waqhathanisa izinsuku zokugcina nezinsuku zikaNowa zangaphambi kukaZamcolo. Ngalesosikhathi abantu babematasa ngokudla, ukuphuza, nokushada—imisebenzi evamile yokuphila. (Mathewu 24:37-39) Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi nakuba izimo zaziyoba ezicindezelayo phakathi nezinsuku zokugcina, izinto zazingeke ziwohloke kuze kube sezingeni lapho imisebenzi evamile yokuphila ingasenakwenzeka. Njengasosukwini lukaNowa, iningi labantu limatasa kakhulu ngezindaba zansuku zonke kangangokuba alikuqapheli ukungathi sína kwezikhathi.

Ngakho-ke, kuyoba yingozi ukuwela ekubeni ngabanganaki ngenxa yentuthuko ethile yezombangazwe  ebonakala iyinhle. (Qhathanisa neyoku-1 Thesalonika 5:3.) Kunobufakazi obuningi bokuthi isiprofetho sikaJesu siyagcwaliseka manje—isixwayiso sokuthi imbubhiso iseduze!

Isikhathi Esikhazimulayo Sangemva Kwembubhiso

Ukubhujiswa kwePompeii kwaletha ukufa nosizi. Nokho, ukuphela kwalesimiso samanje kuyovula indlela yokuphila phakade epharadesi elihle emhlabeni. (IsAmbulo 21:3, 4) Ohulumeni babantu ababanga ukwahlukana ngeke baphinde bawonakalise umhlaba ngezimpi. Abantu ngeke baphinde besabe usongo lokuqothulwa kwesizwe ngenuzi. Ziyobe zingasekho izimboni ezikhiphela amakhemikhali anoshevu endaweni ezungezile.—Daniyeli 2:44.

Ngalesosikhathi wonke umuntu ophilayo uyobe ethanda ukulunga futhi engumngane weqiniso, ethobeke ngokuphelele ekubuseni koMbuso. (IHubo 37:10, 11) Izibhedlela, izindawo zokugcina izidumbu, namangcwaba kuyoba yizinto zesikhathi esidlule. Isehlukaniso, ukuhlala ngokwehlukana, ukucindezeleka, nokuxhashazwa kwezingane nakho kuyobe kungasekho.—Isaya 25:8; 65:17.

Ingabe uyafuna ukusinda kulezinsuku zokugcina futhi uphile ukuze ubone umhlaba omusha okhazimulayo kaNkulunkulu? Khona-ke hlala ‘uqaphile, ngoba awusazi isikhathi ukuthi siyakuba nini.’ (Marku 13:33) Nakuba kunjalo, izenzakalo zomhlaba zikwenza kucace ukuthi isikhathi esimisiwe sesiseduze—siseduze ngokuyingozi kwabaningi. Ungachithi isikhathi. Ngakho thatha isinyathelo esisindisa ukuphila, futhi ufune labo abalalela isibonakaliso sembulunga yonke sezinsuku zokugcina. Laba baphawuleka kalula, ngoba yibona bodwa abalalela umyalo kaJesu wokushumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso emhlabeni wonke. Kanye nabanjalo, kwangathi ungathatha izinyathelo zokuzihlanganisa neNkosi, uKristu Jesu, okuthiwa ngaye: “Izizwe ziyakwethembela egameni lakhe.”—Mathewu 12:18, 21.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 5]

Izici Ezingu-24 Zesibonakaliso

1. Impi engakaze ibe khona—Mathewu 24:6, 7; IsAmbulo 6:4

2. Ukuzamazama komhlaba—Mathewu 24:7; Marku 13:8

3. Ukuntuleka kokudla—Mathewu 24:7; Marku 13:8

4. Izifo eziwumqedazwe—Luka 21:11; IsAmbulo 6:8

5. Ukwanda kokungabi namthetho—Mathewu 24:12, NW

6. Ukubhujiswa komhlaba—IsAmbulo 11:18

7. Ukuphola kothando—Mathewu 24:12

8. Izibonakaliso ezisabisayo—Luka 21:11

9. Ukuthanda imali ngokweqile—2 Thimothewu 3:2

10. Ukungalaleli abazali—2 Thimothewu 3:2

11. Ukuthanda injabulo kunokuthanda uNkulunkulu—2 Thimothewu 3:4

12. Ukuzithanda siqu kuvelele—2 Thimothewu 3:2

13. Ukungabi-naluthando okuvamile—2 Thimothewu 3:3

14. Abantu abaphikisayo—2 Thimothewu 3:3, NW

15. Ukuntuleka kokuzithiba kuzo zonke izigaba zomphakathi—2 Thimothewu 3:3

16. Ukuntuleka kothando lokuhle okusakazeke yonke indawo—2 Thimothewu 3:3

17. Abaningi ngobuzenzisi abathi bangamaKristu—2 Thimothewu 3:5

18. Abaningi badla futhi baphuza ngokweqile —Luka 21:34

19. Abahleki bosulu balahla isibonakaliso —2 Petru 3:3, 4

20. Abaprofethi abaningi bamanga bamatasa —Mathewu 24:5, 11; Marku 13:6

21. Ukushunyayelwa kwezindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu omisiwe—Mathewu 24:14; Marku 13:10

22. Ukushushiswa kwamaKristu eqiniso—Mathewu 24:9; Luka 21:12

23. Isimemezelo sokuthula nokulondeka esiyoba umvuthwandaba wezinsuku zokugcina —1 Thesalonika 5:3

24. Abantu abayinaki ingozi—Mathewu 24:39

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 6]

Izinkinga Zendawo Ezungezile—Isibonakaliso Sezikhathi

□ Ungqimba lwe-ozone oluvikelayo ezindaweni eziphakeme ezinabantu abaningi eNhla Nenkabazwe luncipha ngokushesha ngokuphindwe kabili kunalokho ososayensi ababekucabanga eminyakeni embalwa edlule.

□ Izinhlobo zezitshalo nezilwane okungenani ezingu-140 ziyaqothuleka usuku ngalunye.

□ Amazinga e-carbon dioxide esemkhathini ebamba ukushisa manje asekhuphuke ngamaphesenti angu-26 ngaphezu kwezinga le-carbon dioxide elalingaphambi kokwanda kwezimboni, futhi ayaqhubeka ekhuphuka.

□ Ingxenye engaphezulu yomhlaba yayifudumele ngokwengeziwe ngo-1990 kunanganoma yimuphi unyaka kusukela kwaqala ukugcinwa amarekhodi phakathi nekhulu le-19; iminyaka eyisithupha kweyisikhombisa eyashisa kakhulu egciniwe iye yaba khona kusukela ngo-1980.

□ Amahlathi aphela ngesivinini samahektare ayizigidi ezingu-17 ngonyaka, indawo engangengxenye yeFinland.

□ Inani labantu emhlabeni landa ngabantu abayizigidi ezingu-92 minyaka yonke—okungacishe kulingane nokunezela abantu abangangezakhamuzi zaseMexico unyaka ngamunye; kulengqikithi, izigidi ezingu-88 zenezelwa emazweni asathuthuka.

□ Abantu abangaba yizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1,2 bantula amanzi ahlanzekile okuphuza.

Ngokwencwadi ethi State of the World 1992, ye-Worldwatch Institute, amakhasi 3, no-4, W. W. Norton & Company, New York, London.

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Ngemva kwembubhiso kuyofika umhlaba omusha okhazimulayo kaNkulunkulu